


Lift

by threeturn



Category: One Direction (Band), X Factor RPF
Genre: M/M, Trapped In Elevator, x-factor era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-21
Updated: 2014-08-21
Packaged: 2018-02-14 01:37:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2173110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/threeturn/pseuds/threeturn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Liam and Louis try to get to the fifth floor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lift

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Русский available: [Лифт](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3805687) by [AvaDay](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AvaDay/pseuds/AvaDay)



> This is the first installment of a 10-week/10-trope/10-pairing series with my beautiful partner in crime [disarm_d](https://archiveofourown.org/users/disarm_d). Thank you to Laura for making this project happen and making this story better, and to Sam [lazy_daze](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lazy_daze) for her A+ britpick.

The lift doors are half-closed when Liam hears someone yell, "Hold it!" Liam sighs and presses the open door button. Only a few live shows have aired, but there's a crowd of fans outside the X-Factor studios every day. He got caught up taking pictures and he's almost late for vocal rehearsal with Savan. Now it's going to be even worse.

A body hurls itself through the doors and Liam steps out of the way just in time. Louis—of course it's Louis—collapses against the back of the lift and grins at Liam. "Thanks, mate."

"No worries," says Liam, a bit stiffly. He presses the button for the fifth floor again.

"Nice teddy bear. Very purple."

"From a fan," says Liam, tucking it under his arm.

Louis pushes his glasses up on his nose. "All right?"

"Fine," says Liam, and then, because he can't help it, "I just don't want to be late."

Louis pulls out his phone. "It's one o'clock. We're on time." He pats Liam's shoulder.

Liam flinches away. "We'd be on time if we were there already." He knows Louis is just being friendly, but you don't have to be friendly with your hands, do you? Or your legs or your shoulder or your head? Like, why would you say hi to someone by head-butting them in the stomach? That had happened yesterday and Liam is still trying to figure it out.

"For fuck's sake, Liam—" Louis starts, and then there's a terrible grinding sound and the lift jolts and stops. The doors don't open. Liam and Louis look at each other. Liam hits the open button, and then hits it again. Nothing happens.

"We're stuck?" asks Louis happily. "Oh man. So much for rehearsal. Sorry, Liam!"

Liam frowns at the button panel. "The alarm button is supposed to be only for emergencies, but this is an emergency, right? I'm gonna press the alarm button."

"But then they'll know we're in here," Louis objects.

Liam blinks at him. "That's the idea."

"But Liam," says Louis, and pokes at his side. Liam tries to protect himself with the teddy bear, but he isn't fast enough. That girl should've given him a bigger teddy bear. Maybe like a five foot teddy bear to keep between him and Louis at all times. "This way it's like we've disappeared and they can film Harry wandering around looking for us. It'll be a laugh!"

"I don't _want_ a laugh," says Liam, as patiently as he can. "I want to _rehearse_." He presses the alarm. He can't hear anything. "You try now."

"Well, if the great Liam Payne can't do it, I'm sure I can't." But Louis presses the button anyway, uselessly. "Hold on." He takes a couple of steps back, tilts his whole body in some kind of pseudo-karate pose, and kicks the panel hard with the ball of his foot.

Liam gasps and yanks him away. "What do you think you're doing? You'll break it!"

"Pretty sure it's already broken," says Louis. He looks down to where Liam's arms are wrapped around his chest. "Is this a hug? Have you turned into a hugging person?"

Liam drops his arms. "No," he mumbles. "I mean, what. I hug."

"I'm sure you hug your mum and dad," says Louis, rolling his eyes. He slides down the side of the lift until he's sitting on the floor. "Just not us."

"Niall," says Liam, thinking. "I hugged Niall this morning. I hugged Zayn two days ago. Yesterday Harry hugged me, and I let him. Does that count?"

"Oh," says Louis, "so it's just me you don't hug."

Liam looks away from Louis's accusing eyes. He doesn't want to hug Louis, ever, because what if he blushes or gets sweat on him or runs out of the room? At least when Louis pokes at him it doesn't look weird when he tries to get away. "Why would I need to? You're always all over me!"

"I am _not_ ," Louis says. "Why would you say that? I'm definitely not."

"Fine," says Liam. He checks his phone, but there's no signal. Louis is probably right. Probably he only assaults Liam an ordinary number of times and it just feels like more because somehow Louis's presence turns Liam into an advanced satellite tracking system. He sits down in a corner of the lift and hugs the teddy bear closer.

"I mean it," insists Louis. He kicks the bottom of Liam's trainer from his side of the lift, and Liam jerks his foot away. "I touch the other boys just as much as I touch you."

"You're keeping track?" asks Liam. He thought he was the only one.

"Of course not, what kind of weirdo do you think I am?" Louis looks up at the ceiling of the lift. "Help, help! I'm stuck in a lift with Boring McBoringHead!"

Liam squeezes the teddy bear to try to calm down and reminds himself that Louis is a member of his band. Simon might not let them be a group anymore if Liam pushes Louis down the shaft of the lift. And Louis is fit, which is an important aspect of building a fanbase. The audience has to want you to be their boyfriend, and anyone who saw Louis sitting there in that soft thin blue shirt with his hair flopping sideways would definitely want him to be their boyfriend, unless obviously they knew how annoying Louis was, and Liam does, Liam knows.

"Maybe we can use this time to rehearse," Liam suggests. "I know you don't have any solos this week but—"

"CAN ANYONE HEAR ME?" Louis shouts again. "I'M STUCK HERE WITH THE BOY WONDER SOMEONE HELP ME!"

"I thought you didn't want to be rescued," Liam snaps.

"I changed my mind," says Louis. He bangs his head against the side of the lift. It makes a hollow sort of rattling sound.

"They'll wonder where we are," Liam says, trying to be reassuring. "Savan knows it's not like me to be late. He'll come looking, and then we'll be rescued."

"Are you talking to me or to your teddy bear?" Louis asks.

Liam realises he's been rocking the teddy bear back and forth. He sets it down on the floor next to him, embarrassed.

"Oh, give me that thing," says Louis, but he reaches over to grab it before Liam can hand it over. Then he makes a face. "It smells."

"Give it back then," says Liam.

"Nope. I'm keeping it."

"You are not. It was a present to _me_."

"Who cares?" says Louis, smiling sweetly. "Come and get it."

"No," says Liam. He's not going to fight over a stupid teddy bear. He'd have to lunge over and grab Louis's narrow, fragile-looking wrists first in order to protect himself, and then Louis would probably fight him with his head or his legs, and Liam might have to sit on him or something. Louis probably still wouldn't give up, because Louis never gives up, and Liam would feel him squirming underneath him, and—

Basically, he just doesn't want the teddy bear that much.

"Yeah, better not," says Louis. He puffs up his cheeks and then blows his breath out dramatically. "You're not half the fighter I am."

"What?" says Liam.

"Nope," says Louis. "Just cause you've had boxing lessons and your arms are like that. Doesn't mean you can fight."

"Like what?" Liam asks, interested.

"Nothing," says Louis. "Shut up. It's too hot in here. I feel poorly. I think your voice is making me poorly."

"I think your _face_ is making me poorly," says Liam, but he's lying. It's not Louis's face. It's the way Louis is sitting there three feet away, leaning against the side of the lift with one knee dropped open. It's the way his inseam is tight against his thigh.

Louis makes a horrible grimace, sticking out his tongue at Liam. Liam is definitely not feeling right either, because it's like his entire field of vision narrows down to Louis's pink tongue. He rips his eyes away and wedges his fingers in the crack of the lift doors and pulls. It's hopeless. He can feel a bead of sweat dripping down his forehead.

"Ooh, look at me, I'm Liam Payne, I'm going to rip the doors apart with my own bare hands," sing-songs Louis, holding the teddy bear up in front of his face and making it dance.

"Well, as long as you're covering your face," says Liam. He slumps back against the wall of the lift.

"My face is the best face," says Louis, and then lunges forward, shoving his cheek against Liam's nose.

"Mmmrmghg," says Liam.

"Still poorly?" says Louis, and rubs his face all over Liam's face. Liam tries not to breathe. Louis's cheek is smooth and his lips drag accidentally across Liam's nose and he's using one hand to press Liam's shoulder to the wall. Louis's fingers are digging into his shoulder. One of his knees is pressed against Liam's thigh.

"Yeah." Liam manages to pull his face at least an inch away from Louis's. "Worst nightmare," he grits out, and tries to scoot his arse further back against the wall so that his bits aren't so close to Louis.

"Me too," says Louis, and drops his mouth firmly onto Liam's mouth as if that'll help confirm how terrible everything is. Liam's so mad at him, and also dizzy from how hot and open Louis's mouth turns out to be. Louis pushes in his tongue and makes little noises, as if he likes what he's doing, as if he likes _Liam_. Hesitantly, Liam puts his hand on the back of Louis's head. Louis promptly squawks in pure outrage, pushes away from Liam, and drops back against the opposite side of the lift, breathing hard.

Liam stares at him. Louis's mouth is all red. "I'm sorry," says Liam.

"Shut up," says Louis. "This isn't right."

"It's okay," says Liam. Louis is the third boy he's kissed in his life, so he's heard this before. "I won't tell anyone. Was that the first—"

"That's not the _point_." Louis's eyes are glancing up and down Liam's body. "That wasn't me, I don't know what made me do that. It's really hot in here. Do you think I'm having a heat reaction?"

Liam sighs and unbuttons his shirt another button.

"Why are you always doing that?" Louis practically shrieks.

"It's hot in here," says Liam.

"That's what I'm saying! What does a heatstroke feel like? I might be having one."

"You do seem kind of upset," says Liam. Louis's fingers are twitching on his thigh and his trackies are—Liam can't help checking—bulging noticeably in a certain place.

"Of course I'm not upset," snaps Louis. "Just because I'm stuck in an overheated metal cage with a teddy bear and an exhibitionist, why should I be upset?" He waves his hand for emphasis and then puts it in his lap. And Liam's not staring, he's not, but it looks like Louis's kind of—pressing down.

"Louis," says Liam.

Louis takes his hand away from his crotch and slams his palm flat against the wall. "Is it just me?" he asks, very quietly.

Liam opens his mouth and closes it. He wants to grab Louis up and drop him back on his lap. Shove Louis down against his dick and watch his face when he feels it. "No," Liam says, and Louis closes his eyes for a moment, eyelashes dark against his cheek. It looks like relief.

"If you want," says Liam, "if you want, we could—"

"Don't finish the sentence," Louis says, struggling to his feet. "We need to get out of here."

Now Louis's crotch is at Liam's eye level. He gets up on his knees, swaying a bit. It would be so easy to just lean forward, put his mouth there. But it's important to focus on escaping and not licking. "Help!" Liam calls out, but not very loudly. He definitely wants to be rescued, but maybe not for at least ten more minutes. Fifteen tops.

"Help!" Louis echoes, even more quietly. He steps back and trips over the teddy bear. "Oh my god. That's it."

"What?" says Liam, scrambling up. "What is it?"

"The teddy bear," says Louis. "It's poisoned."

"Louis," says Liam. "The teddy bear was given me by an eleven-year-old girl with _I LOVE 1D_ written on her t-shirt in orange glitter glue. What are you talking about?"

"There's sex poison in it," hisses Louis. "I told you it smelt weird. Why else would I be kissing you?"

"Excuse me then," says Liam, annoyed. "I'm sorry it was so awful. I didn't _ask_ you to throw yourself at me."

"It wasn't me! I told you, it was the teddy bear!"

"No," says Liam thoughtfully. "I'm pretty sure I wasn't kissing the teddy bear."

"I hate you," says Louis. "I don't care if you take your whole shirt off, I'm gonna properly murder you."

"Let me get this straight. You want me to strip, but it's the teddy bear's fault."

Louis glares at him, arms folded. "Something like that."

"Wow," says Liam. Louis is leaning against the wall of the lift. He's fiddling with the hem of his shirt so that every three seconds Liam can see a patch of his skin. Liam's dick is so hard in his jeans. "Um, am I supposed to take my shirt off now?" It could be awkward if they get rescued suddenly.

"You're supposed to not talk," says Louis. His eyes are closed again. "I need to not hear you or see you or touch you or I'll probably die."

"You don't have to be mean about it," says Liam. He's not sure what's going on, but he knows the teddy bear isn't sex-cursed, because he doesn't feel any different. He feels the same way he always does around Louis, except more so. Normally when Louis gets to be a bit much Liam can just do calisthenics to calm down but there really isn't room for press-ups in a lift. He thinks of how Louis had bit at his mouth and reaches down to unbutton a couple more buttons of his shirt. The tips of his fingers feel hot against his chest, and he can't help making a little noise. "If you want to—take care of yourself, you can. I won't look. Or listen," he adds, remembering the sounds Louis made when he was kissing him.

"Oh _god_ ," says Louis, fists clenched. "Oh god _shut up_."

"Or I could, I could do it," says Liam. Louis's looking at him again, looking at his _mouth_. Liam presses his hands to his cheeks to keep them off his dick. "No big deal, it doesn't make you gay—" because that had seemed important somehow to the last two boys he'd kissed, and he thinks it might make Louis feel better.

Louis's still shaking his head, but Liam steps closer anyway. Louis's hand shoots out the way it always does when he's going to pull Liam's hair or tweak his nipples but this time his fingers just end up on Liam's throat. Very carefully, Liam reaches out to remove Louis's glasses.

"So you can't see me," he says shakily.

"I don't know," says Louis, a bit wildly. "I don't know, I just—"

"It's okay," says Liam, and then, inspired, "It's just the bear, right?"

Louis's eyes go wide. "Yes," he says, "yes, yes."

"You're so _fit_ ," Liam blurts out, and sees something in Louis's eyes that looks like fear. "I mean," he says, "I've been poisoned to think you're fit."

Louis nods violently. "We can't help it."

"Nope," says Liam, and puts Louis's glasses in his back pocket.

"If you break my glasses I'll put rats in your bunk," says Louis. He's already running his hands over Liam's shoulders.

"I know," says Liam, "come on," and he bends his head and finds Louis's mouth. Louis is still for a moment, his lips hot under Liam's, and then his whole body seems to buckle, going loose in Liam's arms. Liam's known for ages that Louis's body makes his body stupid and that he can't ever let Louis close enough to find that out. The way Louis is clinging to him now though, sliding his hands up Liam's back under his shirt, makes Liam feel like it's okay after all, being like this. Wanting Louis like this. He gets a leg between Louis's thighs so he can move in even closer, pushing his hips against Louis's until he's jammed up against the wall. Liam can't believe how Louis's letting him rub up against him, how he's making sounds so raw and desperate Liam's almost ready to believe in that sex curse after all.

"Liam," Louis gasps out, "Can I, can I just," and he's fumbling Liam's flies open, looking straight at him, mouth in a defiant line like he expects Liam to tell him no. Liam stares right back and jerks Louis's trackies down over his arse. Then he pulls Louis in again, gently at first, just to see what it's like, Louis's hard cock against his. It's a lot. It makes Liam thrust his whole needy, wanting body against Louis while Louis clutches at his back and moans.

"Louis," says Liam, "I have to, I'm gonna—"

"And you never even let me touch you," Louis mutters, and gets his hand between them.

"I am now," Liam tries to say, but he's coming already, right into the twist of Louis's hot, impatient hand. He thinks Louis might laugh at him for how soon it was, how he didn't even try to hold out, but Louis just groans and moves his hand to his own dick. "No," says Liam, jealous suddenly, because it's not fair that Louis's going to try to come without him, even when Louis's cock is already smeared with Liam's come, and he drops to his knees so he can get in Louis's way.

"Put it—put it in your mouth," says Louis. "Liam, Liam, _please_." His legs are shaking and when Liam gets a grip on his thighs and his mouth on Louis's cock, Louis jolts forward and comes in seconds. His cry echoes in the small space. Liam gags, swallows. He wants to take it as if he's done it before.

There's a hand on his shoulder. "Liam," says Louis, but when Liam looks up, Louis just shakes his head.

"Everything's fine," says Liam. He wipes his mouth. "I'm fine."

"Good for you, then," says Louis, sounding a bit more like himself. "Have you got a tissue?"

"I think so," says Liam, and stumbles to his feet. His jeans are still sagging open. He tucks his dick back into his boxers so he doesn't look so silly, and finds a couple of crumpled tissues in one of his pockets.

"Thanks," says Louis, and when he takes one their fingers brush together. Liam represses a sudden urge to hang on to Louis's hand and dabs at himself with the other tissue instead. He's still kind of sticky, but he zips himself up anyway. He'll have a shower later.

Louis's still wiping at himself where Liam came on him. His face is kind of red and he's not looking at Liam. He still hasn't pulled his trackies back up, and there's one splotch that he's missing completely. "Do you want me to help?" Liam asks.

"No, Liam," says Louis, "I can wipe up your jizz all by myself." He balls up the tissue and throws it in a corner of the lift. Liam kind of wants to get it, because he doesn't think they should leave jizz rags on a semi-public lift, but if he does it might look like he's criticizing Louis's cleaning skills.

"I didn't mean to get it on your shirt," says Liam.

"That's all right. Wasn't your fault."

"Right," says Liam, nodding. "It was the teddy bear."

"Um," says Louis, pulling up his trackies. "Yeah, cause otherwise we wouldn't, right? We don't even get on."

"Mmmm," says Liam noncommittally. "Are you gonna keep on not liking me? It's fine, I'd just like to know."

"I never didn't like you," says Louis. He looks extremely sulky for someone who's just had his dick sucked, or like, almost sucked, because Liam hadn't really had time.

"Well, I never didn't like you either," says Liam, but before Louis can say anything else the button panel buzzes into life.

"Boys? You in there?"

"Yes!" Liam yells into the intercom. "Yes, yes, we're stuck!"

"Just hang on then, we've got someone on the way."

"Thank god," Louis says loudly. "We're missing rehearsal, I can't miss rehearsal."

 

*

 

As it turns out, Liam and Louis are only 45 minutes late. Niall hugs them as intensely as if they're astronauts returning from a dangerous space mission. Liam apologises. Louis doesn't, because he's offended that Savan went on with rehearsal instead of organizing an all-band search party.

"I hope you at least did your lip trills in the lift," says Savan.

"Well, of course," says Louis. His arm twitches as if he's about to elbow Liam, but he doesn't. They take their places around the piano.

"Lookin' out a dirty old window," sings Liam, doing his best to sound depressed but also romantic. Louis's standing right next to him, with at least a foot of space between them.

The song goes smoothly until Zayn and Harry's verse, when Savan stops them because he wants to work on Harry's breath control. Liam bites his lip and shuffles sideways so he can speak very quietly and not at all disruptively into Louis's ear. "Louis. You know how before we were feeling kind of, um—"

"—poorly—" Louis supplies.

"Right, poorly." Liam pauses, not sure how to go on.

"We agreed it was a weird teddy bear poison curse drug thing," Louis whispers. "It's gone now, right?"

"I suppose so," says Liam. Louis had binned the poor innocent teddy bear down in the basement before Liam could stop him, so Liam's obviously going to have to think up another excuse if he's ever going to suck Louis off properly. "Do you think it's, like, flushed from our system then?"

"Dunno," says Louis thoughtfully, and the whole room seems to tilt for a moment.

Savan's voice rings out sharply. "Liam? Louis? You with us?"

"Yes, Savan," says Liam. "Sorry."

"Then be ready for the chorus, please," says Savan. Everyone sings that they're kids in America who live for the music around. Louis sounds particularly enthusiastic. Then it's Liam's verse and it must be all right because Savan doesn't stop him.

When Niall starts singing, Liam turns to Louis again. "You don't still feel it, do you?" he whispers hopefully. "Don't some drugs give you flashbacks? You never know."

"Yeah, I've heard of that," says Louis, and he's still nodding his head when he chimes in with Niall. "You know life is cruel," they sing. "Life is never kind." Then Louis punches Liam's hip.

Liam takes a deep breath and stays right where he is.

"Aren't you gonna try to get away?" Louis whispers. He spreads his fist out, until his hand is gripping Liam's hip instead.

"Do you want me to?" Liam whispers back. He touches the back of Louis's hand, just for a moment.

There's a jangle of piano keys, and a deep sigh from Savan, because apparently they've missed another cue. "Okay. Let's just start it again from the top. You two ready?"

"Yes," says Louis, and he slings his arm around the back of Liam's neck without looking at him. "Now we are."

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr post is [here](http://valencing.tumblr.com/post/95335950112/tropegate-week-1-lilo-trapped-in-a-lift). Weekly tropegate fic announcements will be posted to our tumblrs, [valencing](http://valencing.tumblr.com) and [onedisarmed](http://onedisarmed.tumblr.com).


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